Log handling mechanism



Oct. 24, 1950 P. scHRoEDl-:R 2,527,036

LOG HANDLING MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheer. 2

PAUL SCHROEDER l :snvemor (ttorneg Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED; lPleijr.1\l

OFFICE LoaV HANDLING MEcHANlsiu Paul Schroeder, Clallamay, Wash. ApplicationvJune 6, 1949,'"s-era1No. 97,474

This invention relates to improvements in-a log handling mechanism and, more particularly, is the provision of means for raising and swinging logs in connection with yarding and loading of them for transportation. f f I l In the logging industry it is customary` in the Pacific slope area to cut trees into what' are known as double-length logs that are about-40 feet long. These logs are usually of substantial diameter and therefore are heavy. and unwieldy. To handle them in a collection yard and to raise and deposit them on a truck or railroad caris a difiicult undertaking for these and other obvious reasons. To facilitate such operations, the loggers have devised the systemv of. topping a'large and straight tree to form a mast which maybe suitably guyed to steady it. Near the'base of the tree and outstanding at an upward inclination to the ground is mounted a boom, which can be swung about the axis of the tree Iffrom side to side and which can be elevated.. In view of the size of the logs being handled and the hard and rough work that is being accomplished, these booms are often formed of two substantially parallel timbers that are spaced apart by cross-pieces a distance sufficient tofstraddle on the inner end of the base of the tree. By means of cables such a boom is suspended in place and is rigged with lifting lines and with swinging lines that are connected to power Winches whereby the boom may be swung over a log to be lifted, then when the log is engagedby tongs o'n the lifting line and lifted, swung to another posi- -tion as over a truck bed for the deposit of the log.

Usually such booms are rather loosely mounted on their inner ends to the spar or-mast tree by the straddle arrangement mentioned and by a retaining line that passes around the tree on the other side from the boom. When suchv a boom is swung while a heavy and-longlogis suspended from the outer end, a great frictional contact exists between the boom andy mast tree and the power required, as a, result, is very conL siderable-often in excess of that available. Such arrangements can be seen in the patents to Nord et al., No. 1,313,198, or Tsigris, No. 1,551,225, which are early constructions used in the loggin field.

It has been my further experience in logging operations that the practice of swinging the boom by means of auxiliary swinging lines, resultslin lost time because the cables become-fouled and tangled with guys, they are dangerous` to the Workmen since often they lie on the ground vduring slack periods but ybecome alive and deadly when power is applied, and they require additional winch drums on the power unit beyond absolute necessity. Y f

To avoid the disadvantages of the prior praci i 2 i tices and to materially facilitate the operation of yarding and loading logs, I have f-formeda boom stick of two lheavy'timbers that are tied together by relatively heavyv cross pieces inf-a spaced-apart relation sui'licient to enable their inner ends to straddle the spar tree near its base. I mount on the spar tree an annular track and an annular carriage to move on the track. The carriageV is coupled to the boom stick so that the latter `moves with the carriage and swings relative the carriage at diametrically opposite l pointsof the spar tree. 'Ihis permits the boom stick tobe radially positioned as desired around thetree and to be altered in its inclined position to the ground around the'tree to accommodate .varying lifting conditions that may exist. To insure lthat the `mounting of the track and carriage is `such that the carriage may be moved easily .even when considerable weight is supported by the boom stick, Iprovide means for coupling the track to the spar tree that allows adjustment and accurate leveling of the carriage track. Means is also provided for moving the carriage on the track but without employing hauling ,lines on the boom. In this way, I` am able to provide a `simple and easily produced and installed assembly of a spar tree and boom that will operate efficiently under extreme conditions of use with relatively small amounts of power, with safety Ato the workmen, with rapidity, and with a minimum of maintenance during use. ,Y v

.The constructionand combination of elements bypwhich .these concepts are carried out and .by

which these and other objects are effected arel I venience of illustration; andy l Figure 3 isa verticalv View, partially in section, -taken in the plane suggested by line 3-3 of VFigure 2; 1

-Referring to Figure 1, there'will be seen-1a 1typical spar tree I0, which is usually a tree in place that hashad its branches removed and.

hasbeen topped 'and guyed bylines `of cable i 2 and. i4; The ends ofthe guys (not shown) are Vcarried outilaterallyrlaround the spartreeland `fastened to convenient stumps or objects buried in the ground. Such guys tend-to make the spar tree'rigid to Iform an' excellent support for the boom I6.

-56 anchor the pads to the tree.

The boom comprises a pair of elongated timbers I8, I8 of substantial size which are separated by cross bars 20 and joined together by through rbolts in aconventional manner. The under face of the boom I6 is sheathed'with straps of metal 22 against which the loggers heel a log L during its travel about the tree from onel side to another. The boom I6 is supported in a generally at condition from the side;of -the'spar tree by a cable 24, attached to the boom by bridle 26, which passes upward and arounda sheave of block 28 and then tothe 'anchoring stump 3D oif to one side of the spar tree.

to the carriage frame 62. A sprocket chain 80 anchored at its ends as at 82 passes around a substantial portion of the carriage and around the. sprocket. Chain 80 is in effect a flexible `'stra-nd, andzitis contemplated that equivalent, but

not identical' power transmitting means, may be employed to rot/ate the carriage on the track.

Also on framework 'l2 is mounted a motor 83 which powers pinion 84 in mesh with spur gear I prefer to lift logs by means of tongs"'32 von I line 34, which is attached to block 36 that is slidably 'coupled to line 24 :as f shown in Figure' 1. The-main lifting line '38 Vruns from engine .winch 40 up to and around theblock 42 on the'spar tree, down through block 36, andthence upward to aV suitably high anchoring point on thefspar tree I6. By this arrangement, vwhen a ipulliis exerted on line 38, the spacing betweenblocks 36 and 42 is lessenedanda pullon the tong-line '34 is exerted to cause the lifting of a, log L into contact with the boom-in the manner described.

The boom swings aroundthe spar tree to various radial positions during a loading operation and to facilitate thisaction, the means vshown in Figures 2 and 3 has been devised. An annular track v50 'having vertically spaced-apart rails 5| is mounted around the spar tree Lnearits" base'. This track is preferably fformed of steeliandfis quite heavy and strongto stan'drthe rugged forces to which itis subjected. "It 'is desirable that respectto horizontal, for reasons described' hereafter.

To attain the mounting of the track lon the tree, I chop` away the bark and down tothe Vsolid 1 Wood underneath to'form flat bottomed'recesses 52 on whichare placed pads, as54. Lag screws The pads have ears`58 von them and the innerfface of the track vl) has a plurality of similar `earsll, thelatter 5 being relatively close together vertically while the former are widely separated one above-the other. Between an ear58 and ear`59 is mounted an extensible-contractible link 60 of -the 2nature 'of aturnbuckle.

When the pads have been properly positioned on the spar tree, and the ring 'has been assembled about the tree, it is lifted into placeA and the links 60 are connectedand adjusted as to length to bringthe track50 into the desired position relative'to'the ground. It is desirablev that the ends ofthe links 60 that attach to"the"t'ree pads be rather widely spread lapart--in'other words, that the links of each pair rdiverge-in order that a broad or wide `base forthe track be provided.

The carriage frame V62 encircles track 5D and rides lon the rails thereof byxmeansl of a, 'plurality of 'wheels 64. Between the carriage frame 62 and each of the ends of the elongatedV tim'- bers I8 of the boomis a pivotal coupling-which comprises the `forks y66 into which is '.ttedfthe boom forks 68 that are attached to the boom. The pivot pins 1D of the vopposite connections are co-axial and are disposed far enough apart to 'easilyzmove about the tree `as 'the boom swings.

On a supplemental-frame 'l2 by meansof .bearing 14 I Vmountthe pillar shaft 1,6 .whichhasta motarydrive sprocket 1,6 onits upper-'endsv adjacent .sprocket and the 86 -on shaft 16. It is preferable that motor 83 beof the reversible type so that the carriage may be moved in either direction.

Usually the control means for the operation of` motor 83 is conducted off to one side close to the control for the winch spool 40. The operator is'then located'ft'o one si'de where he can view the operation'and cause the. functioning of the various elements according to requirements of the'job.

On occasion the .track maybe placed slightly non-horizontal vso that, when themotor is operating to vrevolve the boom to the spot where logs are to be picked up, the motor is driving the empty boom up-hill, as it were. Then when Va. log'is added'to the load of the boom'the car'- riage can coast down-hill to the position where the'log is deposited. Such an arrangement shows the versatility of my mechanism.

' I claim:

1. In =a log. handling mechanism of the type including'a spar tree'and a boom supported from saidspar tree and formed of a pair of spacedapart elongated members adapted to straddle said spar treefnear its base, an operatingk connection between V'the spar tree and the boom member, comprising: means forming an .annular 'track horizontally disposed about the spar'tree; an annular carriageframe encircling said trackand movable thereon; -means forming a pivotal connectionfbetween said carriage frame andthe inner ends -of each of the spaced-apartelongated members of the boom, operable about a generally horizontalax-is, 'said pivotal connections being co-axial; an upright-axis lrotary lmember adjacentisaidcarriage frame andsupportedzin fixed position vfrom-said spar tree by :frame means; a flexible strand anchored-at its ends to `said carriage member and vpassing around said'rot/ary member; and means to\rotate;said rotary member in either direction about its axis to impart movement'of saidcarriage on'the tracky to swing the boom toA selected radial'positions Yrelative the spar tree. f

2. Theconstruction according to claim 1 in which the -upright-axis rotary member is a flexible -strand is a sprocket chain.' j l Y I v -3. TheV construction Aaccording to claim 1 in which the vmember forming the annular trackhas a pair @of -vertically vspaced-apart rails and the carriage frame includes plural pairs of flanged Wheels'to rollon said rails.

f4. The construction Vaccording to claim'l in which the annular' track is somewhat larger Athan theV outer'diametergof the spartreathe spar tree has several base pads-secured thereto att'he position of the track, rand between each pad rand the track thereis 'a pair Aof end ipivoted extensiblelcontractible'screw links whose ends attached to No references cited. 

